Tough Nut To Crack
by youcantbaeawaythegay
Summary: Swan Queen AU. Emma Swan's best friend Ruby decides she's had enough of Emma being dateless and sets her up on a blind date with an unknown suitor. An unknown suitor who turns out to be more interesting than Emma expected. For Swan Queen week. Currently a one-shot.


_/ A/N: This one-shot is for day one of Swan Queen week. I don't plan to continue it - but I will if enough people ask for it._

_/ Thank you and enjoy! Follow me on Tumblr at youcantbaeawaythegay to follow the rest of my submissions for Swan Queen week..._

_/ This is an NYC AU - no curse, no FTL._

* * *

_I don't know why I agreed to this._

Emma Swan looked at herself in the mirror, that brilliant red dress capturing her eyes and causing her to feel borderline insecure about herself. On any other date, she'd be much more comfortable - although she never hit it off with people, and a few of her dates had been bogus ones in order to capture someone - a clever but slightly depressing way of getting the job done - but this date was different. This time, she had no idea who she was going out with.

It was a chilly April evening. The sky lit up in a brilliant display that was hidden by the city lights and skyscrapers. The bustling of New York wasn't lessened by a single factor, as was usually the case. Emma sort of liked the activity of the city - it gave her the sense that she was less alone. Although Emma didn't like to admit it, she didn't like being alone.

A knock on the door awakened Emma out of her trance. Reluctantly, she opened the door, and her friend Ruby Lucas stepped into Emma's small and dingy apartment, brilliant smile on her face - the same smile that had revealed Emma that her friend was up to something in the first place. The one that got her into this situation in the first place.

"You ready?!" Ruby asked, turning around in the kitchen and looking Emma over; from her flowing curls to the tightness of that dress. Ruby's face changed into a slight grimace, and Emma looked down at herself, frowning.

"What, is it too much?" She asked, looking at her friend with a bit of worry in her eyes. Ruby hadn't taken the liberty of telling her where the date was taking place and especially not who with. Emma had just put on her favourite dress and hoped for the best.

"No, not at all," Ruby answered, shaking her head. "It's just.. you look like I'm dragging you out to go step on puppies. You could be a bit more enthusiastic!"

Emma sighed. "Hard to be enthusiastic when I have no idea who I'm going out with."

Ruby shook her head, excitement dancing on her face again as she jogged to Emma's room and grabbed her clutch. "Come on! We're gonna be late," she insisted as she dragged Emma to the car, opening the passenger door for the reluctant blonde (probably to make sure she actually _got in _and didn't run off) and then began to drive them away.

Emma's nerves increased as the car began to slow down outside of a restaurant. Ruby brought the car to a halt outside of it, turning in her seat to grin at Emma. "Have fun!" She said excitedly, waiting until Emma was out of the car before she gave one final wave and drove off.

The blonde entered the beautiful building with nerves residing in her stomach and in the palms of her hands as she approached the front desk and lightly tapped her fingers against the wood. The restaurant itself was beautiful. There was a number of people here, and many of them looked like they were high on the social and economic ladder - Emma was beginning to worry if she would be able to afford this place.

"Reservation for two under Emma Swan," she said, hoping that Ruby had used her name. Thankfully, she had, and the woman smiled and turned to lead her to her reserved seat.

Someone was already sitting at the table. It was a tall woman, her short brunette hair flowing perfect around her face, giving off the impression that she was constantly in control of herself. Her sharp eyes were focused on the menu she held in her hands. Emma was instantly mesmerized by the way she held herself and how she seemed so.. _different _from anyone Emma's ever met.

"Hi," the blonde said quietly as she sat across from the woman, giving her a friendly but nervous smile. "I, uh - I'm Emma."

The brunette looked up from her menu, paused to look Emma over, then smiled herself. And holy shit, the woman's smile knocked Emma off her feet. "Regina Mills."

Emma pulled up a menu herself, allowing her eyes to fall down to gaze at the menu. Expensive, but she'd expected that. Holding the menu up, Emma's hesitant eyes couldn't help but glance at the woman again, taking her in. She seemed to be wearing expensive clothing, and she held herself like a businesswoman - that explained the choice of restaurant. Perhaps Emma was out of her element here. Maybe this woman wasn't a good match for her.

But then she looked up from the menu and her eyes met Emma's, and every single thought the blonde had been having only moments before faded from her head.

".. dear?" The brunette asked, looking at Emma and resisting a grin. Emma blinked a few times, realizing she'd been staring, and quickly looked away, praying she wasn't blushing.

"Hm?" Emma asked, finally looking back at Regina, who was now smiling.

"I asked you if you've found anything you'd like," Regina asked, nodding towards the menu - as though Emma would be confused and think she was talking about the brunette herself (not that Regina would be wrong if she'd assumed that, of course).

"Oh, right," Emma said, looking down at her menu and nodding once she spotted what she'd like. Regina nodded and moments later a waitress popped out of nowhere and took their order.

Emma felt a bit awkward. She didn't know how to start a discussion with this woman. What did they have in common? What convinced Ruby that they'd be a good match? The brunette seemed to be thinking the same thing, for once the waitress left she leaned forward in her chair and attempted to spark up some kind of discussion.

"So, Emma, what is it you do for a living?" The woman asked, and Emma winced internally. She wasn't sure how to answer this.

"I catch criminals," she answered, giving the woman a smile - that was a good answer, that worked.

"Ah, so you're a police officer, then?"

"Not exactly," Emma answered, letting out a small, nervous laugh. "What about you?"

The woman shrugged. "I'm a businesswoman." The way she said it gave off the impression that being a businesswoman was not only her career, it was all that she was.

She'd be a tough nut to crack, but something in Emma told her that she could do it. She could make Regina Mills open up. And maybe, just maybe, she could open up to Regina Mills, too.

* * *

"You never told me what kind of business you're in," Emma asked, eyes dancing with a hint of teasing. They'd been on their date for nearly an hour, and as time went on, the two of them slowly got more comfortable - somehow, they ended up at the point where they were comfortable enough to tease each other.

Regina rolled her eyes, smiling down at her food. She hadn't gotten much, but the bill would be expensive nonetheless. "Your interest is flattering, Miss Swan. However I believe I've shared enough for a first date."

Was that a suggestion that they go on a second date? The corner of Emma's mouth turned up in a smile, and she looked down at the table, resisting the grin that was threatening to overtake her. "I think you just like being mysterious."

"That, too," Regina replied, not meeting Emma's eyes but smiling at the sound of Emma's light laugh.

Emma had been wrong. They were hitting it off beautifully. She'd have to thank Ruby for this later.

After two hours had passed, Regina's phone gave off a short buzz. She glanced at it, pausing and unlocking the screen when she saw who it was from. Emma looked at her curiously, and the woman looked up at her phone for a moment to give her date an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, it's my son."

Everything in Emma's mind came to a halt at the mention of a son. Suddenly she was brought back to a decade ago, when she herself had almost become a mother, when she'd refused to look into her newborn son's eyes in fear, knowing that she wasn't ready -

Then Regina set her phone down and smiled up at Emma again, and every thought she'd just had faded from her mind like it had earlier. What did it matter that Regina had a son? They were on their first date.

Perhaps - if things went well - by the time they became serious, Emma would be ready.

"Do you have to go?" Emma asked, and the look in Regina's eyes said everything.

"I did enjoy myself, though," Regina said as the two of them began to pack up and Emma gestured for the waitress to bring the bill.

"So did I."

"Perhaps we can do this again sometime?"

Emma smiled and nodded. The two of them split their bill and said their goodbyes at the table. As they went their seperate ways, Emma replayed the date over and over in her head.

Immediately at the text Emma sent out once she was outside, Ruby pulled up like she'd been waiting the entire time. The blonde fastened her seatbelt and smiled to herself once she sat down. She must've been glowing, for Ruby looked at her with a grin that reached beyond her ears.

"I'm guessing it went well, then?!"

Emma looked at her, and for the first time all day, the smile she gave her was not only genuine - it was grateful, and it mirrored Ruby's.

"Have I told you lately that you're my best friend, Ruby?" She said instead of answering, but Ruby knew exactly what she meant. And as they drove off, Emma couldn't stop thinking about the brunette with the beautiful smile who'd stolen her heart in only a few hours.


End file.
